Who are Bradley Garmston and Elliot Grandin? The lowdown on Grimsby Town's deadline day signings

Bradley Garmston and Elliot Grandin both made the move to Grimsby Town during the final hours of deadline day (Image: Getty Images)

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So what do we know about the new duo? Here’s all you need to know about the Mariners’ new additions…

Bradley Garmston

Born in Chorley, Garmston grew up in the midlands, and was spotted by West Brom as a youth player with non-league side Sutton Coldfield Town.

He joined the Baggies’ academy in 2007, and worked his way through the system, making himself a regular in the Under-21s side before heading out on loan for his first taste of senior football with Colchester United in 2013.

Bradley Garmston in action for West Brom U21s against Arsenal in 2015 (Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

After initially joining the U’s on a one-month deal in the New Year, Garmston remained in Essex for the remainder of the season, going on to make 13 appearances as he helped them to avoid relegation from League One.

Having impressed during his time away from the club, he was rewarded with his first professional contract at The Hawthorns that summer as he put pen to paper on a one-year deal.

Garmston remained with the Baggies for the following season, making nine appearances in the U21 Premier League as West Brom finished in one of the ten relegations spots that campaign – the division was split into two the following season.

The club chose to extend his deal, and he went on to make a further nine appearances for the U21s the following season before heading back out on loan, this time to Gillingham.

He made eight league appearances, as well as one in the Football League Trophy, before returning to the midlands and making a further five appearances for the Baggies’ youth side.

Garmston was released by West Brom that summer, and subsequently made the move back to Gillingham as he signed a three-year contract at Priestfield Stadium.

He’d go on to spend nearly five years with the club, making a total of 93 appearances during his permanent spell with the club, before being released by the club in anticipation of his move to Blundell Park.

Sonia Lannaman (left) in action during the Women's 4 x100 metres relay event at the European Athletics Cup at the Crystal Palace in 1979 (Image: Tony Duffy/Getty Images)

A naturally pacey fullback, Garmston is the son of three-time Commonwealth gold medallist and Olympic bronze medallist sprinter Sonia Lannaman, while his father Michael was head physiotherapist for the British team during the 1992, 1996 and 200 Olympics.

Garmston also has some international experience, having represented the Republic of Ireland at U17, U19 and U21 level.

Elliot Grandin

Grandin certainly brings plenty of experience with him to Town, having played for 12 clubs in five different countries.

He began his career with hometown club Stade Malherbe Caen, making his first team debut in 2005 as the club were relegated from Ligue 1.

Elliot Grandin in action for Marseille during the Champions League third qualifying round match against Brann in 2008 (Image: BORIS HORVAT/AFP via Getty Images)

The following season, he made a total of 19 appearances as Caen missed out on promotion back to the top tier on just goal difference.

Grandin would help ensure they didn’t miss out again though, making 23 appearances as Caen finished runners-up and earned their place back in Ligue 1.

Midway through the 2007/08 season, he was snapped up by Marseille, and played a vital part in the club qualifying for the Champions League after setting up Samir Nasri to score in a 4-3 final day win over Strasbourg, which booked their place in the preliminary round of the competition.

He then helped Les Phocéens to the group stages of the competition, making his European debut in the third qualifying round against Norwegian side Brann.

Grandin found playing time hard to come by that season though, and subsequently went out on loan to Grenoble in January 2009.

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The winger reportedly went on trial with Stoke City that summer, with the Potters being given first option to buy the player for around €1million.

Grandin was released by Marseille in September, before going on to make the move to Bulgaria with CSKA Sofia in January, having reportedly been in negotiations with Romanian club Rapid Bucharest.

He made 11 appearances for the club before linking up with Ian Holloway for the first time at Blackpool, making his debut for the club in their first Premier League outing against Wigan, which resulted in a 4-0 win for the Seasiders.

Following their relegation from the top tier, Grandin missed 17 games through injury as Blackpool began the following season in the Championship before heading back to France on loan with Nice.

He made 13 appearances there, although the club chose not to take up the option to make his move a permanent one, and he returned to Blackpool, where his attitude was questioned by Holloway.

Elliot Grandin in action for Blackpool against Blackburn Rovers during a Premier League game in 2011 (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

“I've given him four really important words; commitment, encouragement, enthusiasm and enjoyment and asked him 'where are they?',” he said.

“Until I get the right answers he won't get the chance to play, because other people have got those things in abundance, and sometimes I think he lacks them.”

After almost three weeks out in the cold, Grandin was reinstated to the Seasider’s squad, and he responded to Holloway’s comments.

“I spoke with the manager and we talked everything through. Everything is OK now.

“I’m pleased to be back playing in front of the Blackpool fans. They are always amazing with me.”

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Following Holloway’s departure from the club, Grandin found playing time at Bloomfield Road harder to come by, and it wasn’t long before he was linking back up with his former manager at Crystal Palace in August 2013.

Just a couple of months after arriving though, Holloway was sacked by Blackpool and replaced by Tony Pulis, with Grandin being released in January after not making a league appearance.

The following month, he was back at Blackpool under interim manager Barry Ferguson, but was subsequently released at the end of the season.

A move to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu followed, before Grandin returned to the UK in February 2016 with Shrewsbury Town, where he was released at the end of the season without making a first team appearance.

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Grandin was soon on the move again, this time to Cyprus with Ermis Aradippou, before he returned to France with fourth tier side Etoile Frejus Saint-Raphael in January 2018.

The following year, he was back on the move as he headed to Reunion, a French island just east of Madagascar, to link up with amateur side JS Saint-Pierroise, who he helped to the last-32 of the Coupe de France, before linking back up with Holloway at Blundell Park.